50 GECKOisriD.^:, 



Genus GECKO. 

 Laiireiiti, Syn. Rept. p. 43 (1768). 



Digits strongly dilated, free or webbed at the base, with undivided 

 lamellae below, with very short, compressed distal clawed joint 

 rising from tlie extremity of the distal part; inner digit clawless. 

 Body with granular scales and tubercles above, with small, flat, 

 imbricate scales beneath. Pupil vertical. Males with praeanal or 

 femoral pores. 



Eastern Asia. Three species in the Malay Peninsula : — 



T, Rostral not entering nostril; digits free; 



males with prteanal pores. 

 Width of head twice distance of end of snout to 



orbit ; throat covered with small flat granules. G. verticillatus, p. 50. 

 Width of head not twice distance of end of snout 



to orbit; throat minutely granulate G. stentor, p. 51. 



II. Rostral entering nostril ; digits with a rudi- 

 ment of web ; males with prseanal and 

 femoral pores G. mojmrchus, p. 51. 



47. Gecko verticillatus. 



Laur. op. cit. p. 44; Bouleng. Cat. Liz. i, p. 183 (1886) ; id. Faun. 



Brit. lnd.,Rept. p. 102 (1890) ; S. Flower, P. Z. S. 1899, p. 631 ; 



Ridlev, Journ. Straits Branch Asiat. Soc. No. 32, p. 193 (1899); 



Bouleng. Fascic. Malay., Zool. i, p. 149 (1903). 

 Flatydactylus gecko, Cantor, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, xvi, p. 623 



(1847).' 

 Gecko ffuttatus, Giinth. Rept. Brit. Ind, p. 102 (1864). 



Head twice as broad as distance from end of snout to orbit. 

 Digits free. E-ostral not entering nostril; 12 to 14 upper and 

 10 or 11 lower labials; 4 or 5 chin-shields on each side. Back 

 covered with flat granules and about 12 longitudinal series o£ 

 mammiform tubercles ; throat covered with flat granules. 13 to 

 24 pra3anal pores forming an angular series. Tail slightly depi-essed, 

 annulate, with large conical tubercles above, each annulus composed 

 of 5 or 6 transverse rows of squarish scales above, and 3 beneath. 

 Slaty grey above, with orange or red spots or vermiculations ; 

 tail with darker and lighter rings ; whitish beneath, uniform or 

 variegated with grey. 



From snout to vent 160 millim. ; tail 145. 



Southern China to Malay Peninsula and Archipelago. Common 

 on the trunks of coconut palms in the Patani States: found also 

 in the Province AVellesley, at Singapore, and on Penang, Not 

 known from the Federated Malay States. In Singapore it pro- 

 bably owes its introduction to man. In many places it frequents 

 houses, and is known by the name of Tolcay, which expresses 

 its loud call. Jt is a bold and fierce Gecko, feeding not only 

 on insects but on other lizards and mice, and is even supposed 

 to catch small birds in trees at night. 



